Prologue

"Alecto! Alecto, come on."

It had to be one of the most terrible feelings in the world, netted up and defeated in Ravenclaw tower. And to know just minutes before- mere minutes- I'd had the Potter brat right under my thumb, had gotten a taste of victory before it was snatched away by the unpleasant sensation of unconsciousness.

I woke to my brother kneeling over me and a couple more of us- Death Eaters, that is- looming nearby. I squirmed out of my bindings; my heart was pounding against my ribcage. I knew I was going to be in trouble, but I wasn't so sure of when, exactly, it would come to me.

I suppose the only reason they unbound us was because there was a battle raging and our loyalty was required. Amycus, swearing in a way that would have made our mother wince and our father proud, ran into the fray without any hesitance; I found myself more loath to rush into the heart of things. Let them fight, I thought. Assess the situation, then act on what you see. Never endanger yourself where it's unnecessary.

For giving a false alarm of having caught Potter, I knew the price was already high on my head- why fight for a being, supreme or not, who was only going to kill me? Then again, the world needed rid of the scum, the Mudbloods and Muggles, and if I aided with that, perhaps my charges would not be held against me-- and so I, too, after a moment's thought, plunged into the chaos.

The Slytherin self-preservation instinct kicked in almost immediately. I cast more shielding charms for myself than I did anything offensive; who would know the difference? I was almost positive my brother would probably be doing the same in some other part of the castle.

Suddenly, a familiar figure caught my eye, and my wand was momentarily still. He looked just as handsome, if not a bit worse for wear, than he had the last time I'd seen him in August, just as dashing as he had back when we'd been in school together. I felt my breath catch in my throat for the split second that his eyes locked on mine.

Then, the moment was over; he flung a hex at a student running past him, and I turned my attention back to the man who I'd been sparring with for the past few minutes. He'd become engaged in fighting another Death Eater- I couldn't tell who from the distance- and so I shot a killing curse at his turned back.

The second I felt the hand on my arm I knew that it was him, and I didn't really want to face him... but he'd never been the sort to take no for an answer. His hand closed around my wrist, and he dragged me into a room I hadn't even realized was nearby.

"Alecto," he breathed. There was a cut on his forehead that I could see as I lit my wand, and he was panting heavily; something that closely resembled pity gripped my heart until I was able to tear my eyes away from his face.

We were closer in proximity than we'd been in months, and yet everything about him was just as familiar as ever. We could have still been sixteen, if not for the tattoos that had been carved into our left forearms and the battle raging outside the door. But I was being surveyed by the same soul-piercing gaze, and felt the same combination of awe and admiration. He chuckled softly. He could read me as easily as he might a book.

I could hardly bring myself to say anything. Too many thoughts were crowding my mind, too many things that I had to say to him-- but my mouth was working a little faster than my brain, and I whispered in a tone that I hardly recognized as my own voice,

"Antonin."